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Philadelphia Inquirer Explains Artificial Intelligence Snafu that Resulted in the Recommendation of “Nonexistent” Books
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The syndication company that produced a 56-page feature supplement published by The Inquirer last week acknowledged Tuesday that some of the content, which included recommendations of nonexistent books, was AI-generated.
Gabriel Escobar, The Inquirer’s editor and senior vice president, said that using artificial intelligence to produce content is a “violation of our own internal policies and a serious breach.”
He added, “We are looking at ways to improve the vetting of content in these supplements going forward,” while also making clear that Inquirer news staff was not involved.
Though The Inquirer’s name is on the cover, the newsroom staff had no involvement in the editing or production of the “Heat Index” supplement, distributed by King Features, a syndicate that for decades has provided popular comics and features to publications across the country, including The Inquirer.
In a statement, King Features said that it also has a strict AI policy. It said “Heat Index” was the work of a “freelance content creator” who did not disclose the use of AI. The company will no longer work with the creator, it said.
Sources tell Crossing Broad that two of the fake books were titled “Schuylkill Expressway: A Scenic and Enjoyable Driving Experience” and “Joel Embiid’s 82-Game Season.” A third story, titled “Harry Potter and the Flyers’ Recent Title” was omitted from the published list.
But on a more serious note, I think you give credit to the Inquirer for being transparent about this, right? They’re saying they had nothing to do with it, but they’re getting out in front and communicating to readers. Other outlets would maybe just brush it aside and pretend it never happened.
The AI comments do kind of make you laugh though. The Inquirer employs a bunch of people who don’t even live in the Philadelphia region, which is fine apparently, but using artificial intelligence is where we draw the line. News flash: we’re all going to be using A.I. in some way, shape, or form, so you may as well embrace the inevitable and brainstorm some ways in which the robots can aid our Big J pursuits.
Let’s check in with ChatGPT on that front:
Kevin has been writing about Philadelphia sports since 2009. He spent seven years in the CBS 3 sports department and started with the Union during the team's 2010 inaugural season. He went to the academic powerhouses of Boyertown High School and West Virginia University. email - k.kinkead@sportradar.com